23 Facts About Caesar Rodney

Caesar Rodney was an American Founding Father, lawyer, and politician from St Jones Neck in Dover Hundred, Kent County, Delaware.

Caesar Rodney was an officer of the Delaware militia during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War, a Continental Congressman from Delaware, a signer of the Continental Association and Declaration of Independence, and president of Delaware during most of the American Revolution.

Caesar Rodney's mother was the daughter of the Rev Thomas Crawford, Anglican rector of Christ Church at Dover.

Caesar Rodney was educated when he was 13 or 14 years old.

Caesar Rodney attended The Latin School, part of the academy and the College of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until his father's death.

Caesar Rodney's father died in 1746, and Caesar's guardianship was entrusted to Delaware Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Ridgely by the Delaware Orphan's Court.

Caesar Rodney had professed his love and affection for several Delaware ladies at various times but was never a successful suitor.

Caesar Rodney joined McKean as a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and was a leader of the Delaware Committee of Correspondence.

Caesar Rodney served in the Continental Congress along with McKean and Read from 1774 through 1776.

Caesar Rodney was in Dover tending to Loyalist activity in Sussex County when he received word from McKean that he and Read were deadlocked on the vote for independence.

Caesar Rodney voted with McKean and thereby allowed Delaware to join eleven other states in voting in favor of the resolution of independence.

The office did not have the authority of a modern governor in the United States, so Caesar Rodney's success came from his popularity with the General Assembly, where the real authority lay, and from the loyalty of the Delaware militia, which was the only means of enforcing that authority.

Meanwhile, Caesar Rodney scoured the state for money, supplies and soldiers to support the national war effort.

Caesar Rodney was elected by the Delaware General Assembly to the United States Congress under the Articles of Confederation in 1782 and 1783 but was unable to attend because of ill health.

Caesar Rodney's health was now in rapid decline and even though the Legislative Council met at his home for a short time, he died before the session ended.

Caesar Rodney was tormented throughout his life by asthma, and his adult years were plagued by a facial cancer.

Caesar Rodney experienced expensive, painful, and futile medical treatments on the cancer.

Caesar Rodney wore a green scarf to hide his disfigured face.

Caesar Rodney's body is buried at an unmarked grave on his beloved farm, "Poplar Grove".

Caesar Rodney actually is buried in an unmarked grave in his family's unmarked plot on their former 800-acre farm east of Dover Air Force Base.

Caesar Rodney appears in the Broadway musical 1776 and its film adaptation.

Caesar Rodney is portrayed as an elderly man suffering severely from facial cancer, and he has to be taken home by fellow Delaware delegate Thomas McKean.

Caesar Rodney is portrayed in the musical by Robert Gaus and in the film by William Hansen.